Use UV Rays to Zap 99% of Germs on your Device with the KeySmart CleanTray – Review

Sanitizing the objects you carry around with you, especially your smartphones and keys, has never been more important. Sure, a year ago, we might say the same thing. My wife makes my kids and I wipe down our smartphones daily even before COVID-19 turned our world upside down. But now, effectively sanitizing those devices and items you carry in your purse or pockets need an extra degree of cleaning. This is where the KeySmart CleanTray UV sanitizer comes into play!

Having a regular cleaning regimen is important to prevent the spread of bacteria, viruses, and germs. Apple recently said (because of COVID-19) that anti-bacterial wipes can be used on their devices. This is something we as a family have been doing fairly regularly. But it takes time and you have to have the wipes handy to do this. Studies have shown, however, that using ultraviolet rays (UV) can be used to eliminate or zap many forms of bacteria and viruses.

But there are different types of UV rays. The one that scientists have shown can break down the DNA of viruses and bacteria is UV-C which occurs naturally from the sun but is filtered out by our ozone. UV-C is actually quite dangerous and can cause cancer if unfiltered and damage our eyes. But, according to this WebMD article, UV-C is being evaluated for use in hospitals or other public areas. But the article does caution that home products are still being evaluated for efficacy.

Additional Cleaning with the KeySmart CleanTray

The jury is still out about how well UV wands or trays can work in the home. That being said, the KeySmart CleanTray uses UV-C in an enclosed case large enough to hold the biggest smartphones on the market today. The important thing is to have, as I mentioned, a regime for regular cleaning of your devices, keys, and other objects you take out into public with you.

Using the KeySmart CleanTray couldn’t be easier. It does require a power source so you plug it in to the wall with the included USB cord (you do have to supply the actual plug like a smartphone plug). But that is it in terms of setup. Then, place the item you want to “zap” into the tray and close the lid. Note: you can’t zap anything unless the lid is fully closed.

Pressing the orange-lit button on the side will initiate a UV-C cleaning of whatever is inside. When the KeySmart CleanTray is cleaning with UV-C light, the orange button turns blue. Once the cleaning is completed (it takes about 5 minutes in the case with the UV-C light on), you are good to go! UV-C sanitizers are typically faster at cleaning than other types of UV sanitizers.

On-going Zapping Ability

While wiping your items down regularly is a good practice, especially since smartphones have been proven to be even dirtier than public restrooms, it shouldn’t be your only line of defense. (Read the linked article at your own risk – but essentially it shows that smartphones are MUCH more contaminated than we truly believe!)

The nice thing about adding the KeySmart CleanTray to your sanitization weaponry is that there is nothing else to purchase once you have the tray. And, as long as the item you want to clean can fit into it, you can zap/clean it. In fact, try truly cleaning a set of keys with a sanitizing wipe! There are so many grooves and crevasses that only light can get everywhere.

KeySmart also says that you can put PPE masks into the tray. I hadn’t really thought of that and you definitely can’t use a sanitizing wipe to clean masks! Anything that is up to 7 inches wide and a couple of inches high can fit in the CleanTray.

While I haven’t done any scientific Petri dish-style tests on the efficacy of the SmartTray, I’m taking a leap of faith saying that it will truly rid your items of 99.9% of bacteria and viruses. So I can’t prove or disprove the claims of cleaning. But that is part of the reason I recommend using the SmartTray plus another method for cleaning.

The KeySmart SmartTray UV-C sanitizing case retails for $99.99. While not inexpensive compared to other offerings, when it comes to preventing the spread of germs and even COVID-19, I consider it to be a worthwhile investment. It’s easy enough to use by just about any family member (well, probably not our dog) and if cleaning becomes even more of a habit, that is a good thing.

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HTD says: Taking extra measures to ensure your gadgets and hand-held objects are zapped clean of viruses and bacteria is critical during this COVID-19 era. The KeySmart SmartTray uses UV-C rays to eradicate those dangerous germs quickly and easily.